Magnetic door stop and holder



1964 F. L. STEPHENS MAGNETIC DOOR STOP AND HOLDER Filed Sept. 21, 1962 United States Patent Ofifice 3,163,453 Patented Dec. 29, 1954 3,163,453 MAGNETIC DOGR STOP AND HOLDER Floyd L. Stephens, RED. 1, Monroe Center, Ill. Filed Sept. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 225,193 3 Claims. (Cl. 292251.5)

This invention relates to a new and improved magnetic door stop and holder.

I am aware that the principle of magnetic attraction has been applied both to holding doors of various kinds open and holding them closed, but evidently the various constructions heretofore proposed for magnetic door stops and holders have not been practical for one reason or another, because things of that kind have not appeared on the market to any sizeable extent, although magnetic door holders have been widely used on refrigerators, kitchen cabinet doors, and in other places. It is, therefore, the principal object of my invention to provide a simple and economical and yet thoroughly practical magnetic door stop and holder construction that can be available at very little, if anything, above the cost of most conventional rubber door bumpers and spring clip holders and at no higher cost than the better ones of those devices.

In my improved magnetic door stop and holder I employ a rigid horizontal standard having a fork on the outer end of non-magnetic material in which is pivotally mounted for oscillation ona vertical axis a rectangular molded rubber pad containing embedded magnetized metallic particles, together with a pair of rectangular steel plates above and below the pad serving both as supports for and magnetic pole-pieces on opposite sides of the pad, this three-part stop and holder assembly being mounted on a screw entered through the fork and adapted to be tightened enough to impose friction drag on the pivotal movement of the plates and pad or clamp the assembly in whatever angular position i assumed when they have abutment with the armature plate fastened to the door.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a magnetic door stop and holder made in accordance with my invention, show ing the device as it appears in use;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the mop-board and door in horizontal section;

FIG. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing the door stop and bolder full size;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view at right angles to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows the armature plate in side view, and

FIG. 6 shows the armature plate in front eleva ion.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout these views.

The device of my invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 6 fastened to the mop-board 7 by means of a screw 8 provided on the flanged end 9 of the nonmagnetic die-cast zinc or plastic standard 10. A forked generally rectangular head 11 integral with the outer end of standard has pivotally mounted therein a pair of rectangular steel plates 12 that serve both as supports for and magnetic pole-pieces on opposite sides of a rectangular molded rubber pad 13 containing embedded magnetized metallic particles, this three-part stop and holder assembly being pivotally mounted in the fork of the head 11 on the shank 14 of a vertical screw 15 so as to project outwardly from the head 11 for abutment with a rectangular steel armature 16. Plate 16 is fastened by means of a single screw 17 to the lower portion of the door 18 hinged in the usual way as indicated at 1? to swing toward the mop-board 7 in opening. Only a single hole 20 is required in the plate 16 due to the fact that a pair of laterally spaced prongs 21 are punched from the plate and embedded in the door when the screw 17 is tightened,

thereby preventing the plate from turning. The hole 20 and prongs 21 are on a horizontal line close to the upper edge of the plate, leaving the wide area 22 therebelow clear for abutment with the plates 12.

In operation, the door stop and holder device 6 is installed so that the screw 15 is on a vertical axis, allowing the plates 12 and pad 13 therebetween to pivot in a horizontal plane as indicated by the dotted line exaggerated position in FIG. 2 and accordingly make the device accommodate itself to the angle of the door 18 with respect thereto upon the first engagement of the armature plate 16 with plates 12. Pivotal movement of plates 12 relative to vertical pivot pin 14 is limited by engagement with an inner wall 23 in the forked head 11, as indicated by the dotted line position of the plates 12 in FIG. 2, so that there is no danger of the plates 12 ever becoming turned to a position where they will not cooperate properly with the plate 16 to hold the door open by magnetic attraction. Screw 15 can be tightened, if desired, to impose some friction drag on the pivotal movement of the plates 12 and pad 13 from the angular position they assume when in abutment with the plate 16, as illustrated in FIG. 3, or clamp the assembly in that position. The pad 13 with the embedded magnetized metallic particles constitutes a permanent magnet while the plates 12 serve as bumpers to shield the pad 13 from such shock while acting :both as pole-pieces and as mechanical supports for the pad 13 to prevent deformation and damage thereto, the plates 12 assuming the hammering of being struck by plate 16 each time the door is swung open to the limit position for holding by device 6, the pad 13, being of molded rubber, or the like, with the magnetized metallic particles therein, retaining its strong magnet-ism indefinite ly and transmitting its pull through the plates 12 regardless of the heavy blows these plates frequently are subjected to. The present device I have found holds a door open with much greater assurance against it slamming shut under wind pressure than was aiforded heretofore by most of the other conventional door stops of the spring clip type that have been available, and there is virtually nothing on this magnetic door stop to wear out, whereas most of the conventional devices were subject to the objection that they were not nearly as dependable after a certain amount of wear had occurred. The cost of the present construction makes it competitive with other door stops at present available.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. A magnetic door stop and holder comprising, in combination, a substantially horizontal rigid standard for mounting on a mopboard and having a horizontal fork of nonmagnetic material on its outer end with a vertical screw threaded therein adapted to serve as a pivot pin and be tightenable to restrict the fork opening, a pair of identical rectangular pole plates pivotally mounted in said fork on said pin with a rectangular pad of nonmetallic resilient material of approximately the same dimensions sandwiched therebetween and containing embedded magnetized metallic particles whereby said pad constitutes a permanent magnet and said plates act as pole-pieces for said magnet, said plates extending horizontally outwardly from said fork, and a vertical metallic armature plate for mounting on a door for surface to surface engagement with the edges of said plates to stop the door and hold it in open position.

2. A magnetic door stop and holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein the inner end of the fork serves to limit pivotal movement of said pole plates, whereby the plates need swing only through a small angle to make full surface to surface engagement at their outer edges with said armature plate.

3. A magnetic door' stop and holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein the vertical metallic armature plate has a single hole provided therein for reception of a screw to fasten the plate to a door and has a small projection on the back surface thereof which \Vhen the plate is fastened to the door is embedded in the door and serves to hold the plate against turning relative to the screw.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Ellis -2 Feb. 3, Tool Sept. 4, I Loeb June 3, Basing'er Mar. 20, Benson Sept, 25, HaYfiCS' Feb. 19, 

1. A MAGNETIC DOOR STOP AND HOLDER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL RIGID STANDARD FOR MOUNTING ON A MOPBOARD AND HAVING A HORIZONTAL FORK OF NONMAGNETIC MATERIAL ON ITS OUTER END WITH A VERTICAL SCREW THREADED THEREIN ADAPTED TO SERVE AS A PIVOT PIN AND BE TIGHTENABLE TO RESTRICT THE FORK OPENING, A PAIR OF IDENTICAL RECTANGULAR POLE PLATES PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID FORK ON SAID PIN WITH A RECTANGULAR PAD OF NONMETALLIC RESILIENT MATERIAL OF APPROXIMATELY THE SAME DIMENSIONS SANDWICHED THEREBETWEEN AND CONTAINING EMBEDDED MAGNETIZED METALLIC PARTICLES WHEREBY SAID PAD CONSTITUTES A PERMANENT MAGNET AND SAID PLATES ACT AS POLE-PIECES FOR SAID MAGNET, SAID PLATES EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID FORK, AND A VERTICAL METALLIC ARMATURE PLATE FOR MOUNTING ON A DOOR FOR SURFACE TO SURFACE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EDGES OF SAID PLATES TO STOP THE DOOR AND HOLD IT IN OPEN POSITION. 